Following days of powerful rainfalls, soil erosion threatens villages in Platanias Municipality, Crete. With portable, prefabricated bridges the Greek Army tries to re-connect villages with the outside world, after several main bridges collapsed.
The video shows the moment when the historical Keritis bridge over Alikianos River collapses as its foundation cannot withstand the force of nature. The bridge has been standing there in the last 111 years, the continuous rainfalls eroded its foundations, brought it down.
Before
After
Keritis bridge is one of the seven bridges in Platanias Municipality in Chania Prefecture that either collapsed or are about to.
Video: Roads collapsed in Fotakado
The Prefecture of Chania has been twice hit by torrential and continuous rainfalls in the last two weeks that not only damaged infrastructure but also set the locals’ lives in danger due to subsidence of the ground.
The large volumes of water that have destroyed roads, bridges, networks of water and power and telecommunications, leaving residents without electricity, water and communications, are now threatening entire villages. The rainfall may have stopped but the soil erosion continues.
Authorities are considering to evacuate the village Lakoi, after two houses collapsed on Tuesday, cracks on the walls appeared in several houses and the earth is slowly but gradually gives in.
Some locals have been already evacuated, but the phenomenon of sinking of the ground is still in full development.
The Greek Army rushed to aid the locals with portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridges as their collapse has isolated many villages.
Works to install the first portable bridge over the Iardanos/Platanias River already started on Wednesday morning. The bridge is expected to be in place in 3-4 days.
The second bridges is to be installed in Vryses.
The registration of damages barometric low Okeanis left behind has started, residents and local authorities hope for financial help from the central government.
